TY - JOUR
T1 - Immunohistochemistry of chondromodulin-I in the human intervertebral discs with special reference to the degenerative changes
AU - Takao, Tsuneaki
AU - Iwaki, Toru
AU - Kondo, Jun
AU - Hiraki, Yuji
PY - 2000
Y1 - 2000
N2 - The expression of the matrix protein chondromodulin-I has been studied in human intervertebral discs of 101 people using immunohistochemical analyses. The purpose of this report is to present data on the metabolic changes that were found to occur in the chondrocytes of intervertebral discs during development and aging. Chondromodulin-I was highly expressed during the gestational period and gradually decreased after maturation. It was detected in both the extracellular matrix and chondrocytes in the zone of hypertrophic cartilage, the zone of proliferative cartilage and the zone of resting cartilage in fetal discs. It was also present in the annulus fibrosus, nucleus pulposus and end-plate cartilage in mature discs. In degenerative discs, chondromodulin-I immunoreactivity tended to be elevated in the remaining chondrocytes. Our findings suggest that the expression of the protein is developmentally regulated and upregulated through a defense mechanism against the degenerative processes of the aged intervertebral disc.
AB - The expression of the matrix protein chondromodulin-I has been studied in human intervertebral discs of 101 people using immunohistochemical analyses. The purpose of this report is to present data on the metabolic changes that were found to occur in the chondrocytes of intervertebral discs during development and aging. Chondromodulin-I was highly expressed during the gestational period and gradually decreased after maturation. It was detected in both the extracellular matrix and chondrocytes in the zone of hypertrophic cartilage, the zone of proliferative cartilage and the zone of resting cartilage in fetal discs. It was also present in the annulus fibrosus, nucleus pulposus and end-plate cartilage in mature discs. In degenerative discs, chondromodulin-I immunoreactivity tended to be elevated in the remaining chondrocytes. Our findings suggest that the expression of the protein is developmentally regulated and upregulated through a defense mechanism against the degenerative processes of the aged intervertebral disc.
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U2 - 10.1023/A:1004150211097
DO - 10.1023/A:1004150211097
M3 - Article
C2 - 11127975
AN - SCOPUS:0033710606
VL - 32
SP - 545
EP - 550
JO - Journal of Molecular Histology
JF - Journal of Molecular Histology
SN - 1567-2379
IS - 9
ER -